RIRLift app icon RIRLift

Exercises

Glute exercises for women: thrusts, hinges and side glute work

Published October 19, 2026

The best glute exercises for women are the hip thrust, the Romanian deadlift, the Bulgarian split squat and a side glute move such as the abduction machine or a band walk. The thrust builds the whole glute, the Romanian deadlift the lower glutes, the split squat each side on its own, and the side glute work the upper-outer hip. Women build glutes the same way anyone does: hard sets taken close to failure, with the weight going up over time. Two or three sessions a week with one exercise from each group is enough.

  1. Hip Thrust Glutes
  2. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift Hamstrings, Glutes
  3. Bulgarian Split Squat Quads, Glutes
  4. Hip Abduction Machine Abductors
  5. Glute Bridge Glutes
  6. Step-Up Quads, Glutes
  7. Cable Glute Kickback Glutes
  8. Single-Leg RDL Hamstrings, Glutes

Hip thrusts and bridges for the whole glute

Thrusts and bridges are the backbone of glute training because the glutes do nearly all the work and the load can climb steadily. Use the barbell versions in a gym and the dumbbell thrust at home. Put one at the start of every glute session, when you are fresh enough to push it.

Whole glute, barbell thrust

Hip Thrust

Glutes

If you pick only one glute exercise, make it this one. The barbell thrust loads the glutes hardest exactly where they are fully squeezed, and most people can lift more weight on it than on any squat or lunge, so it keeps getting heavier for years.

How to do it

  1. Rest the base of your shoulder blades on a bench, roll a padded bar into your hip crease, and plant your feet flat a little wider than your hips.
  2. Brace your stomach and tuck your chin so you look forward, not at the ceiling.
  3. Drive through your heels until your hips are level with your knees and your shins are upright.
  4. Squeeze for one second, lower until the plates are nearly on the floor, and repeat.

Cues

  • Look forward, not up
  • Shins upright at the top
  • Squeeze before you lower

Common mistakes

  • Lifting your hips so high that your back arches: the rep ends when your body is flat from knees to shoulders.
  • Feeling it mostly in the front of your thighs: move your feet a few inches further from the bench.

Swap for: Glute Bridge, Smith Machine Hip Thrust, Dumbbell Hip Thrust

Build a session with Hip Thrust

Whole glute, barbell floor bridge

Glute Bridge

Glutes

The barbell glute bridge is a hip thrust done lying on the floor, so the range is shorter and the setup takes seconds. It is the easier version to learn first, and many women load it heavier than the thrust because the shorter range keeps the glutes in their strongest position.

How to do it

  1. Lie face up, knees bent, with a padded barbell rolled over your hips.
  2. Set your heels about a foot from your glutes and steady the bar with both hands.
  3. Drive your heels down and raise your hips until knees, hips and shoulders line up.
  4. Hold the top briefly, lower until your glutes just touch the floor, and repeat.

Cues

  • Heels drive, toes relax
  • Short range, big squeeze
  • Ribs down

Common mistakes

  • Bouncing the hips off the floor: touch down and pause before the next rep.
  • Pressing up through your lower back: tighten your stomach first, then lift.

Swap for: Hip Thrust, Dumbbell Hip Thrust, Single-Leg Glute Bridge

Build a session with Glute Bridge

Whole glute, dumbbell thrust

Dumbbell Hip Thrust

Glutes

With one dumbbell across your hips and a bench or couch behind you, you get the thrust at home or in a busy gym. It is the main glute lift in the home plan on this page.

How to do it

  1. Sit with your upper back against a bench edge and lay a dumbbell across your hips, holding both ends.
  2. Plant your feet under your knees, about hip-width.
  3. Lift your hips until your thighs and torso line up and squeeze.
  4. Lower slowly until your hips are close to the floor and go again.

Cues

  • Dumbbell stays centered on the hips
  • Knees track over the toes
  • Full squeeze each rep

Common mistakes

  • Letting the dumbbell roll toward your stomach: hold both ends firmly and reset between sets.
  • Rushing the lowering: take two seconds down.

Swap for: Hip Thrust, Glute Bridge, Single-Leg Hip Thrust

Build a session with Dumbbell Hip Thrust

Hinges for the lower glutes and hamstrings

Hinges stretch the glutes under load, which builds the lower part where the glutes meet the back of the thighs. One hinge per session is enough. The single-leg version needs only one dumbbell and adds balance and side-hip work.

Lower glutes and hamstrings, dumbbell hinge

Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift

Hamstrings, Glutes

The Romanian deadlift works the glutes and hamstrings while they are stretched, which builds the area where your glutes meet the back of your thighs. It is the partner to the thrust in every plan below.

How to do it

  1. Hold the dumbbells in front of your thighs, feet under your hips.
  2. Soften your knees and slide the dumbbells down your legs by pushing your hips back.
  3. Stop when your hamstrings are fully stretched and your back is still flat.
  4. Stand up by squeezing your glutes and bringing your hips forward.

Cues

  • Hips go back, not down
  • Dumbbells close to your legs
  • Long spine, no rounding

Common mistakes

  • Bending the knees more and more to reach lower: keep them softly bent and fixed.
  • Leaning back at the top: stand straight and stop.

Swap for: Romanian Deadlift, Single-Leg RDL, Dumbbell B-Stance RDL

Build a session with Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift

Glutes and hamstrings, balance hinge

Single-Leg RDL

Hamstrings, Glutes

Hinging on one leg makes the glute extend your hip and also steady your pelvis, so you train the back and the side of the glute in one move. It needs only one dumbbell, which makes it a staple of the home plan.

How to do it

  1. Stand on one leg holding a dumbbell in the opposite hand, standing knee slightly bent.
  2. Tip forward from the hip as the free leg reaches straight back.
  3. Lower until you feel a strong stretch in the standing hamstring, hips square to the floor.
  4. Come back up by driving the standing hip forward, then repeat before switching sides.

Cues

  • Reach the back heel to the wall behind you
  • Hips level
  • Slow and steady

Common mistakes

  • Letting the back leg rotate open: point its toes at the floor.
  • Touching the free foot down every rep: hold a wall or rack with your free hand until your balance improves.

Swap for: Dumbbell B-Stance RDL, Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift, Kettlebell Deadlift

Build a session with Single-Leg RDL

Single-leg glute builders

Split squats, step-ups and curtsy lunges load one glute at a time and add the quads too, so they build the legs and the glutes together. Lean slightly forward from the hips and drive through the front heel to keep them glute-heavy.

Glutes and quads, back-foot-elevated split squat

Bulgarian Split Squat

Quads, Glutes

With your back foot on a bench, almost all the work goes to the front leg, and leaning your chest slightly forward turns it into one of the best glute builders there is. It is hard, so start with bodyweight and add dumbbells once the balance feels steady.

How to do it

  1. Put your back foot on a bench behind you and step the front foot out about two feet.
  2. Hold a dumbbell at each side, or none to start.
  3. Lean forward slightly and sink until the front thigh is near parallel and the front glute is stretched.
  4. Push through the whole front foot to rise, finish the set, then switch legs.

Cues

  • Slight forward lean
  • Front heel planted
  • Back foot is just resting

Common mistakes

  • Standing too close to the bench, which loads the knee more than the glute: step further out.
  • Wobbling side to side: widen the front foot slightly, as if on train tracks, not a tightrope.

Swap for: Dumbbell Split Squat, Smith Machine Bulgarian Split Squat, Dumbbell Reverse Lunge

Build a session with Bulgarian Split Squat

Glutes and quads, bench step-up

Step-Up

Quads, Glutes

A step-up on a knee-height bench works each glute through a long range with very little knee stress at the bottom. It is a good single-leg move for beginners because the box tells you exactly how deep to go.

How to do it

  1. Face a bench at about knee height with a dumbbell at each side.
  2. Set your whole right foot on top.
  3. Lean slightly forward and stand up through the right heel without pushing off the floor foot.
  4. Lower the left foot back to the floor slowly, then repeat all reps on the right before switching.

Cues

  • Drive through the heel on the box
  • Trailing foot stays passive
  • Control the way down

Common mistakes

  • Hopping up off the bottom foot: keep its toes lifted.
  • Choosing a box so high that you have to twist to get up: lower it until you can stand up straight.

Swap for: Bulgarian Split Squat, Dumbbell Reverse Lunge, Kettlebell Step-Up

Build a session with Step-Up

Glutes and side hips, crossover lunge

Dumbbell Curtsy Lunge

Quads, Glutes

Crossing the back leg behind you puts the front glute on a diagonal stretch and makes the side of the hip work to hold your knee steady, which reaches the upper glute that straight lunges miss.

How to do it

  1. Stand tall with a dumbbell at each side.
  2. Step one foot back and across, behind the other heel.
  3. Bend both knees until the front thigh is close to parallel, hips facing forward.
  4. Press through the front heel to stand, then switch sides.

Cues

  • Hips face forward
  • Front knee over the middle of the foot
  • Controlled cross

Common mistakes

  • Letting the hips twist toward the back leg: keep both hip bones pointing straight ahead.
  • Crossing so far that the front knee caves in: shorten the cross.

Swap for: Dumbbell Reverse Lunge, Dumbbell Lateral Lunge, Band Curtsy Lunge

Build a session with Dumbbell Curtsy Lunge

Upper and side glute exercises

Thrusts and squats mostly train the big gluteus maximus. The upper and side glutes need a kick or an outward push: the cable kickback, the abduction machine, or a band walk at home. Take them close to failure at the end of a session.

Whole glute, cable kickback

Cable Glute Kickback

Glutes

A cable kickback isolates one glute with steady tension, so you can push it close to failure without your back or thighs tiring first. Use it at the end of a gym session, when the heavy lifts are done.

How to do it

  1. Wrap a cuff on the bottom cable pulley around one ankle and hold the frame in front of you.
  2. Tip your chest forward slightly and keep the standing knee soft.
  3. Push the strapped leg back until your glute is fully squeezed, knee almost straight.
  4. Bring it back slowly and finish all reps before switching.

Cues

  • Kick back, not up
  • Squeeze at full extension
  • No swinging

Common mistakes

  • Arching your back to lift the leg higher: the rep ends where your hip stops.
  • Using a weight you have to swing: drop the pin until you can pause each rep.

Swap for: Machine Glute Kickback, Band Glute Kickback, Donkey Kick

Build a session with Cable Glute Kickback

Upper and side glutes, seated abduction

Hip Abduction Machine

Abductors

The abduction machine trains the gluteus medius and minimus, the upper-outer part of the glutes that gives the hips their width. Leaning forward over the pads moves more of the push into the glutes.

How to do it

  1. Sit with the pads against the outside of your knees and your feet on the rests.
  2. Lean your chest forward a little and hold the handles.
  3. Press your knees apart as wide as the machine lets you.
  4. Hold briefly at the widest point, then return slowly without letting the stack touch.

Cues

  • Lean forward
  • Brief hold at the widest point
  • Slow on the way in

Common mistakes

  • Slamming the pads back together: take two seconds on the return.
  • Loading it so heavily that your knees barely move: use a weight you can open fully.

Swap for: Lateral Band Walk, Band Seated Hip Abduction, Fire Hydrant

Build a session with Hip Abduction Machine

Upper and side glutes, banded walk

Lateral Band Walk

Abductors

Walking sideways against a mini band trains the same side glutes as the abduction machine, anywhere. It also makes a good warm-up before squats and lunges.

How to do it

  1. Loop a mini band above your knees and sit into a shallow squat, feet under your hips.
  2. Keep your chest up and toes pointing forward.
  3. Step sideways, then bring the other foot along without letting the band go loose.
  4. Walk 10 to 15 steps one way, then return the same distance.

Cues

  • Stay in the half squat
  • Push the knees out
  • Small, controlled steps

Common mistakes

  • Rising out of the squat as you tire: stay at the same height for every step.
  • Letting your feet come together: keep the band taut the whole set.

Swap for: Hip Abduction Machine, Band Standing Hip Abduction, Clamshell

Build a session with Lateral Band Walk

Put them together: example sessions

Each session below picks from the exercises above for one situation, with the sets, reps, rest and RIR filled in. Open one in the session builder to change a pick, price it from a recent set, and add it to RIRLift.

Session 1

Glutes first in three full-body days

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts3× a week
  • Working sets20 a week
  • Per workout~20 min
  • EquipmentBarbells, Flat Bench, Hip Abductor, Dumbbells +1

You lift three days a week in a gym, train your whole body each time, and want your glutes to grow fastest.

Putting a glute lift first in every session means it always gets your best effort, while upper-body work still fits after. Each day pairs one heavy lift (the thrust, the Romanian deadlift or the Bulgarian split squat) with one lighter glute move, so the glutes get 6 to 7 hard sets per day and about 20 a week. Heavy sets stop 1 to 2 reps short of failure; the kickback and abduction go to 0 to 1 because they are safe to push.

Day 1
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Hip Thrust2 warm-up sets first1 s squeeze at the top. 4 × 6–10 1 2:30 min
Hip Abduction MachineLean forward. 3 × 12–20 0 1 min

Open Day 1 in the session builder

Day 2
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift1 warm-up set firstHips back. 4 × 8–12 2 2 min
Cable Glute KickbackPer leg. 3 × 12–15 0 1 min

Open Day 2 in the session builder

Day 3
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Bulgarian Split Squat1 warm-up set firstPer leg. Slight forward lean. 3 × 8–12 1 2 min
Glute BridgeBarbell. Pause at the top. 3 × 10–15 1 90 s

Open Day 3 in the session builder

How to run it
Do Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3 on three non-consecutive days. Add two or three upper-body exercises after the glute blocks each day.
How to progress
Add reps on each lift until every set hits the top of its range at the target reps in reserve, then add 5 to 10 pounds on the barbell lifts or the next dumbbell. Keep the finishers at the same weight for a few weeks and add reps instead.
Open in the session builder

Session 2

At home with dumbbells and a mini band

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets24 a week
  • Per workout~30 min
  • EquipmentDumbbells, Resistance Bands

You train at home with a pair of dumbbells, a mini band and a bench or sturdy couch, twice a week.

The dumbbell thrust covers the squeezed position, the single-leg Romanian deadlift covers the stretch, and the split squat and curtsy lunge add single-leg work, which is how a modest pair of dumbbells keeps challenging you. The band walk stands in for the abduction machine. Rep ranges sit at 10 to 20 because home dumbbells are usually lighter than gym ones, and sets end 1 rep short of failure so the lighter load still counts. Each session is 12 working sets.

Home A
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Dumbbell Hip Thrust1 warm-up set firstPause 1 s at the top. 3 × 12–20 1 90 s
Bulgarian Split SquatPer leg. 3 × 10–15 1 90 s
Single-Leg RDLPer leg. 3 × 10–12 2 1 min
Lateral Band WalkSteps each way. 3 × 12–20 1 45 s

Open Home A in the session builder

Home B
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Single-Leg RDLPer leg. Heavier than A. 3 × 8–12 2 90 s
Dumbbell Curtsy LungePer leg. 3 × 10–15 1 1 min
Dumbbell Hip Thrust3 s down. 3 × 15–20 1 1 min
Lateral Band WalkBand at the ankles. 3 × 15–20 0 45 s

Open Home B in the session builder

How to run it
Do Home A and Home B once each per week, two or three days apart. Use the couch edge for the thrust only if it does not slide.
How to progress
Add reps until you reach the top of the range, then slow the lowering to three seconds before buying heavier dumbbells. On the thrust, move to one leg once two legs stop being hard at 20.
Open in the session builder

Session 3

New to lifting, 40 minutes twice a week

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets26 a week
  • Per workout~30 min
  • EquipmentBarbells, Dumbbells, Flat Bench, Hip Abductor +2

You are starting out at a gym, have about 40 minutes twice a week, and want a simple glute session you can repeat.

Two sessions with five exercises each: one bridge or thrust, one hinge, one step-up for single-leg work, and two finishers. The barbell bridge comes before the thrust because it is easier to set up and learn. All sets stop 2 reps short of failure for the first month, so you learn the positions before you push, and each session is 13 working sets.

Session 1
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Glute Bridge1 warm-up set firstBarbell. Pause at the top. 3 × 10–15 2 90 s
Dumbbell Romanian DeadliftLight. Learn the hinge. 3 × 10–12 2 90 s
Step-UpPer leg. 3 × 8–12 2 1 min
Hip Abduction Machine 2 × 15–20 2 1 min
Cable Glute KickbackPer leg. 2 × 12–15 2 1 min

Open Session 1 in the session builder

Session 2
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Hip Thrust1 warm-up set firstLight bar first. 3 × 10–12 2 2 min
Single-Leg RDLPer leg. Hold a rack for balance. 3 × 8–10 2 90 s
Dumbbell Curtsy LungePer leg. 3 × 8–12 2 1 min
Lateral Band Walk 2 × 12–15 2 45 s
Hip Abduction Machine 2 × 15–20 2 1 min

Open Session 2 in the session builder

How to run it
Do Session 1 and Session 2 on two non-consecutive days. Start with an empty bar or light dumbbells on every lift and add load once each rep looks the same.
How to progress
Add a rep or two each week. When a lift reaches the top of its range at 2 reps in reserve, add a little weight. After about four weeks, change the targets to 1 rep in reserve.
Open in the session builder

Make it fit you

Questions

What is the number one glute exercise?

The hip thrust. It loads the glutes hardest in the squeezed position, the thighs and back do little, and you can keep adding weight for a long time. Pair it with a Romanian deadlift to cover the stretched end of the movement.

What are the top 10 glute exercises for women?

The hip thrust, glute bridge, Romanian deadlift, single-leg Romanian deadlift, Bulgarian split squat, step-up, curtsy lunge, cable kickback, hip abduction machine and lateral band walk. Pick three or four per session, one from each group on this page.

How can I tighten my buttocks in 2 weeks?

Two weeks is too short to change much. A firmer, rounder shape comes from building muscle, which takes months of steady training. What you can do in two weeks is learn the main lifts, set your starting weights, and begin adding reps.

Will glute exercises make my legs bulky?

Not unless you train for years with that goal. Muscle grows slowly, and the plans here aim most of the work at the glutes. Thrusts, hinges and side glute work lift and shape the hips more than they add size to the thighs.

Do women need to train glutes differently from men?

No. Glutes grow from the same thing for everyone: hard sets close to failure and more weight over time. What differs is the goal. If glutes are your priority, give them more weekly sets and put them first in your sessions, as the plans here do.

How many times a week should women train glutes?

Two or three times a week. Spreading 12 to 20 hard sets over two or three sessions tends to work better than one long glute day, and leaves you fresh enough to push each set.

Can I grow my glutes without squats?

Yes. Hip thrusts, Romanian deadlifts, step-ups and split squats grow the glutes without a single back squat. Squats are a good leg exercise, but the thighs do much of the work, so they are not essential for glutes.